Generally, electrophoresis is used to separate complex substances into their component parts by using procedures based upon the migration of electrically charged fractions in a direct current electric field. Previously, this has usually been done using a one-dimensional system in a support mediun such as polyacrylamide get with the addition of denaturing agents, such as SDS or urea, which provides a separation based on mass or on a mass-to-charge ratio.
Typical prior publications describing the one-dimensional technique include the following:
T. P. Karpetsky et al, "Use of Polynucleotide/Polyacrylamide-gel Electrophoresis as a Sensitive Technique for the Detection and Comparison of Ribonucleases Activities", (1980) Biochem.J.189,277-284; C. W. Wilson, "A Rapid Staining Technique for Detection of RNase after Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis", (1969), Anal.Biochem., 31,506-511; C. Wilson, "Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of corn ribonuclease isoenzymes", (1971) Plant Physiol., 48, 64-68; L. C. Van Loon, "Polynucleotide-acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis of Soluable Nucleases from Tobacco Leaves", (1975), FEBS Lett., 51, 266-269; E. J. Zollner et al, "Human Serum Deoxyribonuclease Assay in [.sup.3 H] DNA-polyacrylamide Gels without Staining Artifacts" (1974), Anal Biochem 58,71-76; J. B. Boyd and H. K. Mitchell, "Indentification of deoxyribonuclease in Polyacrylamide-gel following their separation by disc electrophoresis", (1965) Anal.Biochem, 13, 28-42;